Leave the Nest and Learn to Kill
by VocaTouhou
Summary: A closer look at the remains of Miku and Rin's bond in the song "Festival of Asylum". Rin, left to the hands of her Masked parents, had been saved and taken under the care of a coveted member of the Anti-Masked brigade, Hatsune Miku. But what happens when Miku herself becomes "infected" by the Masked and Rin is the only one left to kill her?


**Alright, I've finally worked up the will to write a fanfiction. I've had this in my mind ever since I rewatched the PV for Festival of Asylum, since I got to thinking about how Rin and Miku originally met/what their relationship was like before the events of the video. Though I haven't done writing in a while, so I apologize if I'm a bit rusty. I hope you enjoy the story regardless and please leave reviews if you wish!**

******ALSO, I have a tradition of ending all my oneshots based on PVs with a special scene at the end. You'll see what I mean when you read it ;)**

_"Mommy! Daddy! Please!" A young Rin cried out desperately, her blue eyes wide as she pressed her trembling body against the wall of her apartment. In front of her, the masked faces of her parents loomed, gleaming katana swords clutched in their hands. And as hard as she tried to get them to realize who she was, they refused to acknowledge that is was their daughter they were about to kill. She screamed and covered her eyes as her dad raised up his sword, ready to come down upon her. _

"_Help me!" She cried in a final bout of desperation. Suddenly, the sharp sound of two gunshots rang through the room. Rin risked a peak, gasping as she watched her parents wobble and collapse in front of her, dropping their katanas merely inches from her face. She quickly hid her face in her knees again, unable to look back up from the shock. She heard footsteps approaching, and buried her face further._

_"Hey, are you ok?" The voice that filled her ears was warm and filled with concern. She carefully risked a glance up, meeting the kind gaze of her savior. She was an older girl, dressed in a black uniform with turquoise hair tied into two pigtails. Despite her apparent niceness, Rin noticed a few drops of red staining her clothing._

"_You're ok now. You don't have to be afraid." Miku assured her gently. "Those people won't be able to hurt you anymore."_

_"M-mommy and d-d-daddy…" Rin told her in a hoarse whisper, not daring to look at the bodies laying behind the two._

_"Those were your parents?" The older girl asked, her eyes widening. Rin barely managed a nod, wanting to just curl up in a ball and forget everything that had happened. She'd only come home from school after her mom didn't come to pick her up. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let herself cry. She flinched a little when the older girl placed a hand atop her head._

_"It's going to be ok." She soothed, her teal eyes filled with sympathy. "I…I'm going to take care of you now, ok, sweetheart? I'll try and find you a nice home…Here, what's your name?"_

_"K-Kagamine Rin." _

_"Well, Rin, you'll be under my care from now on." She stood up, holding a hand out to Rin with a sympathetic smile. "My name is Hatsune Miku."_

"Miku?" Rin inquired, tilting her head at the older woman. "What did you want to tell me about?" The two stood in a grassy field, a light breeze ruffling their hair. The tealette had her back turned to Rin, staring off into the vast land before her. In one of her hands was a revolver gun, the perfect weapon against the Masked. She looked over her shoulder, giving Rin a tiny smile.

"Oh, Rin, you're here." She greeted her, her tone a bit saddened.

"Still upset about Kaito?" Rin asked, walking up beside her. "You know, Miku-nee, the fact he succumbed to the Masked so easily just goes to show he wasn't a very strong person. My parents were on the brink of divorce when they got infected, so I understand now that it was difficult for them to resist. But Kaito had you, and all of us, and he still gave in. That's not the trait of a very good boyfriend." She playfully poked Miku in the side. "I never liked him, you know. You deserve far better." Miku managed a small chuckle despite her evident sorrow.

"I _do_ remember you two tended to be at odds quite a bit."

_"What?!" Kaito practically spat out his coffee, staring at his girlfriend incredulously. The blonde girl behind her legs hid, not wishing to meet the gaze of the blue-haired boy. "No way. Nu-uh. You've got to be-… I said no to a puppy once; there is no way in _hell_ we're taking in a snot-nosed kid."_

_"But Kaito!" Miku pleaded her boyfriend. "Her parents were Masked and almost killed her. She doesn't have a home right now, and every time I talked to her about the possibility of foster care or an orphanage, she argued it vehemently. She wants to stay with me." As if to prove it, Rin, buried her face into the back of Miku's stocking._

"_And then what, we make her a Number?" He scoffed. "Might as well elect Meiko as head of the Anti-Masked; because the only member of the brigade I've never seen sober would be a perfect leader to an army of children. I can already see the Masked quaking in their boots."_

"_But she'll be under my care the entire time." Miku argued against his sarcasm. Kaito sighed, putting down his cup of coffee._

"_Look, Miku." He started. "I love you, and I just don't want you to get hurt. Losing my sister has been burdening me since I first failed to protect her against the Masked. I could have saved Kaiko, but I failed, and now the guilt follows me like a ball and chain. I just don't want the same to happen to you." __He rubbed his forehead with a hand. "_A kid is a big responsibility, and you're a member of one of the most life-risking organizations out there. You won't have much time to keep her defended, much less complete your job with the skill that you usually do."

"_I know, Kaito." Miku told him, placing her hand over his own. "But that won't be a problem. I'll train her, teach her everything I know. Rin will be a great asset to the Anti-Masked once I prepare her." _

"_So does that mean I can stay, onee-chan?" Rin's voice was tiny and pleading. Miku gazed down at her charge affectionately, ruffling her hair._

"_Yes, Rin. You can stay." _

"_Yes!" Rin pumped her first in the air, a large grin on her face. She met the stare of Kaito, and stuck her tongue out teasingly. He scowled at her before he met his girlfriend's eyes, his gaze tired. _

"_And what if Rin, even with this 'skill' you propose to give her, gets killed by a Masked? Won't that break your heart, Miku?" Rin gasped quietly._

"_I won't let that happen." Miku said defiantly, wrapping her arms around the girl protectively in response. "Not while I'm alive."_

"But no, this isn't about Kaito. Not anymore." Miku sighed. She turned around completely so she could face her charge.

"Rin, there's something you need to do…a special mission." She started.

"Yes, onee-chan?" Rin asked, her tone curious. Miku sighed and dropped her gaze for a moment, deciding how to best phrase the information.

"Rin…remember how Kaito was really depressed before he became Masked? He had grief about the death of his sister. We tried to cheer him up, but he refused to even listen to me."

"Yeah…" Rin replied slowly. Miku stopped for a moment, biting her lower lip.

"Well, when Kaito got Masked and I had to...I..." She felt a familiar pulse of anguish, mixed with an intoxicating drive to sell away her sadness and submit to the insanity that had wormed it's away into her mind. She was falling fast, and not even Rin, her adopted child she loved more than words, could save her.

"M-Miku!" Rin suddenly called out. "W-what's wrong with your eyes?" Miku didn't need her reflection to know that they had turned crimson. She shook her head, allowing the feeling to pass as her eyes resumed their normal color.

"Rin…you're going to have to do something very important for me. Not right now, but when the time comes you have to promise you'll do it, no matter how you might feel. Listen to your mind, not your heart."

"What are you talking about…?" Rin trailed, encouraging her to reveal the "special" mission. Miku sighed, knowing trying to sugar coat it would only make it harder on Rin. She leaned down to Rin's level, trying to give her the most warm and caring look she possibly could in an effort to ease the harshness of the coming statement.

"Kill me."

"_Happy birthday, Rin!" Miku's voice chimed as she broke her embrace with the younger girl and gave Rin's hair an affection tousle. _

"_Thanks, Miku-nee." She muttered, a bit embarrassed by all the attention._

"_Here, I've got__ something for you!" She took out a small white box and handed it to Rin. Rin examined the box, curiously lifting it to her ear and shaking it. "I was going to buy you a gift, but I decided this was a little more meaningful." Miku added as Rin undid the ribbon and opened it up. Inside was a small black chain, ending in a silver cross. Rin's eyes widened and she looked to Miku in confusion._

"_But Miku, this is yours!" Rin protested. "You told me it had been your mother's! You wouldn't even let Kaito handle it!"_

"_But I want you to have it now." Miku insisted, taking it from Rin's hands and gesturing for her to turn around. Once Rin's back was to her she draped the chain over her neck._

"_It will protect you." Miku told her from behind as she brushed Rin's hair to the side and fastened the clasp on the back. "It will be like carrying a little piece of me around wherever you go. As long as you wear this, you'll be safe from anything the Masked try to do to you."_

"I can't fight it anymore, Rin. I'm turning into a Masked. And there's no going back once you're infected, you know that."

"N-no...no, Miku, please, I can't do this to you!" Rin felt her panic coming in waves, and her breathing became rapid. Miku managed a small smile.

"Hush, calm down…" She cooed, running a hand through Rin's hair. "I love you very much, Rin. I want you to remember that, ok?"

"I don't care!" Rin spat violently, batting Miku's hand away. Miku's eyes glowed with hurt, and Rin instantly felt guilty, letting her gaze drop like a deadweight.

"Rin, I know you're upset…" Miku started, reaching for her again. Rin whimpered as she felt the warmth of Miku's hand against her cheek, radiating comfort throughout her body.

"You don't have to look." Miku whispered quietly. "You could even close your eyes while you do it. I promise it's not that hard." Rin looked into her eyes, noticing they were turning red again. Even her voice was beginning to change, becoming icy despite the comforting words she whispered. She noticed the alarm in Rin's gaze, and quickly attempted to cover up her changing eyes with a hand. And with the other, she carefully pried open Rin's clenched fists and placed the revolver gun within.

"_I don't think I can do this, Miku." Rin stammered, the gun barely stable in her trembling hands. She was older now, dressed in an outfit almost identical to her caretaker's. A silver cross dangled from her neck, swinging lightly in the afternoon wind._

"_It's not that hard once you get your focus right." Miku insisted, walking over to her position a few meters away from the row of targets. "The Masked will be moving, but it's best for beginners to start with inanimate targets." She steadied the gun in Rin's hands, clasping them together between her own._

"_There, see?" She told her, guiding her hand up. "I'll keep my hands here and guide you through it, ok?" Rin nodded, gulping. She locked her vision onto the target in front of her, positioning her feet accordingly._

"_Ready?" Miku asked her gently._

"_As I'll ever be." Rin muttered, clenching the weapon tightly. This was her first time shooting a gun, but Miku's hands gently guiding hers offered the consolation she needed to complete the task. Taking a breath, she pulled the trigger. The sound and force caused her stumble back into her caretaker, watching as the bullet hit the side of the target. Miku steadied her before pulling her into a hug._

"_Nice work!" Miku congratulated her. "Most beginners don't even hit the target the first time." _

"_You were helping me, though." Rin mumbled into the older girl's uniform, not very impressed with herself. She moved her head, catching the gaze of Kaito from a nearby range of targets. He looked away when he say she was looking and raised his gun, shooting his target merely inches from the center. Rin tightened her hold on her weapon, determination coursing through her veins. She gently pushed the older girl away, her eyes focusing back on her own target. She slowly raised her gun, licking her lips and squinting her eyes in concentration._

"_Rin?" Miku asked her curiously. "What are you-" Her words were cut off at the sound of a gunshot. She just managed to catch a glimpse of the bullet annihilate the center of the target, sending off splinters of wood from the impact. She glanced to Miku, who appeared completely frozen on the spot, eyes widen. She glanced to Kaito, who was staring at her incredulously. Miku, snapping out her daze, beamed at Rin._

"_That was incredible!" She exclaimed in awe._

"_I've never seen a beginner have such natural aim." An older Anti-Masked Number, Gakupo, added gruffly, giving her a small nod of approval. _

"_Thanks!" Rin said with a large grin as Miku walked over to her. Miku crouched to Rin's level, her eyes brimming with pride, and gave her charge another tight hug._

"_I'm so proud of you." She whispered in her ear._

Miku squeezed her eyes shut as she fought the urge to become fully infected. "I have to go now, Rin." She told her in that new icy tone. "If I wait any longer, I'll become fully infected and I'll hurt you."

"No! P-please don't go!" Rin whimpered, her cheeks damp with stray tears. Miku coughed, covering her mouth to hold back a maniacal laugh that wished to erupt from her throat. She would be consumed by the infection any moment. With a free hand, Miku brushed the bangs out of Rin's eyes and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Rin. Good luck."

"N-no, Miku, wait!" Rin called out, but her yells were useless as her former caretaker left her alone in the field.

And Rin saw it all.

A light snowfall, a mass of blood, and an elevator taking her to her final fight. More blood, panic, fear, evil laughter, and a sense of betrayal. Rage, defense, and clear shot, just like the target she'd hit on her second try; if her aim wasn't so damn good, it may have not even happened. And a rush to save her attacker, despite the injuries she'd suffered by their hand. Eyes meeting, and a last whisper in that kind, warm voice she remembered and loved before her grip gave in.

"_I'm so proud of you."_

…...

Location: Crypton Inc.

"Uwaaah!" Rin's wails echoed throughout the studio.

"Shhh…come on, Rin, it's ok! It's alright. I'm here, I've got you."

"She's still like this?" Kaito muttered as he approached the costume-clad pair, spooning up the remaining ice cream in the bowl he was carrying.

"Yeah." Miku replied sadly, looking at the sobbing girl in her arms. "The moment the camera turned off after the shooting and falling part, she just broke down bawling. I've tried to remind her that it was just a video we were acting in, and that I'm still alive, but she wouldn't calm down."

"I'm sorry, nee-chan…please don't die, nee-chan!" She whimpered.

"Rin, I still don't get why you're so upset." Len muttered from behind Kaito, chewing a banana thoughtfully. "Isn't 'Green is the Enemy' our motto? And just a few days ago you were telling me how excited you were that you would get to kill Miku in your latest video. What in Crypton changed?"

"S-she said she was p-proud of me!" Rin wailed. "She g-gave me her special n-necklace!" Len sighed, shrugging to Kaito.

"Was I even in this?" The blue-haired vocaloid asked dumbly. "They had me dress up and all, but I didn't actually get to act."

"At least they had you dress up!" Len retorted. "When I asked Master what I should do for the video, he just told me to 'go eat a banana or something'. Later I figured out he just photoshopped a random image of me for the Anti-Masked Numbers and moved on." He scoffed, finishing off the remaining bites of his fruit.

"Rin, look at me, I'm still here." Miku soothed her, tipping Rin's chin up to look at her. "We were only acting, Rin-chan. I'm here, you're here, and we're both safe. This can't be worse than filming Fear Garden, right?" Rin's eyes widened at the mention of another video she'd killed her former enemy in, and she resumed sobbing, throwing herself back at Miku. The tealette sighed, running her fingers through her hair and whispering soothing words.

"I remember that," Kaito remarked. "That night, Rin requested that we all camp out in her room since she was so scared of losing us."

"You know, she's probably going to want to spend the night with you tonight, Miku." Len pointed out.

"I know, and that's perfectly fine." Miku replied, rearranging Rin so she sat more securely in her lap.

"I love you, nee-chan." She mumbled quietly into her costume.

"Treasure that, Miku, she won't be saying it for a while." Len snorted.

"I love you too. And it's over, so we don't have to do that ever again, ok?" Miku offered her a smile. Rin managed to smile back, still sniffing.

"Y-yeah, ok."

"Now come on, you're probably hungry and thirsty. Let's go get you some tangerines and a glass of orange juice."

...

**Hehe, I always thought of PVs as films the Vocaloids acted in, and the little scene at the end of this is what I imagined for Festival of Asylum XD **

**Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed this angsty little oneshot, and would really appreciate reviews! Thanks for reading!**


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